Horrific skin condition means woman could get cancer if exposed to any sunlight.

Most of us can’t wait for the long, warm days of summer to return. But for one young woman, being out in the sun is a nightmare she must constantly avoid.

Andrea Monroy, 23, was born with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). It’s a hereditary defect which means her body is unable to repair damage from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. It’s a rare genetic condition that causes extreme sensitivity to the sun and can lead to aggressive skin cancer if she is exposed to sunlight.

Andrea can only leave the house at night or if she is covered from head to toe in protective clothing.

When Andrea was a little girl, she developed an unusual amount of freckles and was then diagnosed with XP.

The condition only affects about 2,000 people worldwide.

Well Andrea’s parents took drastic measures to protect her from the sun’s harmful rays. They home-schooled her, and they tinted all of the house windows.

“In every single way I have always had a different life,” Andrea says. “I never went to school as it wasn’t safe and my mom taught me to read and write.”

Andrea has already undergone 25 surgeries to remove cancerous cells and has ongoing treatment. She blogs about her experience on her website NightLensBlog to encourage other people who are facing challenges.

She says that she loves her freckles and her scars, despite years of people picking on her appearance.

“It makes me feel like a better human,” she said. “I thought I was the only one in the world with XP. I realized I wasn’t and I met other that had the same thing as me. I live each day, day by day. I don’t want to think about the future. I just want people in general to live and love life to the fullest.”